It’s no accident that Denver is called “the Mile High City”: When you climb up to the State Capitol, you’re precisely 5,280 feet above sea level when you reach the 13th step. Denver’s location at this altitude was purely coincidental; Denver is one of the few cities not built on an ocean, a lake, a navigable river, or even (at the time) an existing road or railroad.
Denver, Colorado is a quirky, adventurous capital with perhaps more transplants then locals. It doesn’t matter if you are an outdoor enthusiast of the most extreme kind or a city slicker who likes happy hour under the shade of a skyscraper, Denver has everything you need. The sheer number of interesting things to do in Denver makes it very difficult to put a list together, but we are up for the challenge! While this list will inevitably be an ever-changing entity, here’s goes the top 5 things to do in Denver.
Ride a Bicycle
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It doesn’t matter if you have a $2,000 road bike and are kitted with spandex or have a $100 bike off Craigslist, Denver is a very friendly city for bicycle enthusiasts. Cherry Creek Trail stretching from Confluence Park to Cherry Creek Reservoir is an adventure that will show you all the different sides of Denver and is highly recommended. Also, during the summer months on Wednesday nights Denver hosts a cruiser ride where hundreds of bikers get together to drink beer and ride in a massive group around the city. The group is called the Denver Cruisers.
Drink a Microbrew Beer
Even a cicerone (professional beer taster) would tell you that Denver, Colorado is one of this country’s meccas when it comes to good beer. Overshadowed by Coors in the past, Denver and Colorado as a whole is slowly becoming a beer drinkers paradise with an overwhelming number of breweries spread across our capital city. It also holds the country’s largest beer festival in the Great American Beer Festival.
Hang out in a Park
Denver is home to an incredible 5,900 acres of parks! If you can find a gorgeous stretch of green grass to spend time in this city, then you aren’t looking hard enough. Whether you are into playing volleyball at Washington Park or drinking beer (yes you can drink alcohol in Denver parks!) and listening to Jazz music at City Park in the summer, Denver parks are one of the top things to do in Denver.
Go to a Concert
When most people think of good music and Colorado the epic natural amphitheater of Red Rocks comes to mind. Just outside of Denver this is one of the best places on earth to watch live music, however the city itself also has a large number of venues large and small for your auditory pleasure. No matter what the genre all the best bands all over the world usually make a stop in Denver at one of the larger venues such as the Ogden or Fillmore. However there are also cool small unique venues like Cervantes Ballroom, NORAD dance bar or Larimer Lounge that serve up more unique and up and coming acts. Colorado is also host of the Snowball Music Festival which is held just a few hours outside of Denver.
Eat Mexican Food
In any capital city it’s possible to find good food. However, I believe that Denver has some of the best Mexican food that this country has to offer. We invented the Mexican burritos joints such as Qdoba and Chipotle, but our Mexican flavors go way beyond that. The Latino neighborhoods surrounding Santa Fe, East Colfax and Federal are home to some of the most authenticate Mexican food spots outside of Mexico. You may even have to speak a little Spanish to get by!!
If you have any suggestions for Denver Metro Media on other things to do in Denver, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Also check out our article on what to do in Colorado.
Denver Travel Tips
- Take steps to let your body acclimate to Denver’s high elevation. Try to limit intense activities during your first day, and consume less alcohol than normal. Drink plenty of water to protect against dehydration. And remember that the sun’s rays are more intense here, so use that sunscreen!
- With the Rockies directly to the west of the city, locals will give directions assuming you know which way is north, south, and east. Just remember that the mountains lie to the west, and you’ll stay on course.
- Solve crimes at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.
- Denver provides access to some of the best high-altitude air ballooning in the country. Depending on where you launch, views may include the Continental Divide, the Colorado Plains, the Colorado Front Range, Mosquito Mountain Range, the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the Sawatch Mountains, Mount Elbert, Pikes Peak, and more.
- Watch skateboarders catch air at the largest outdoor public skate park in the United States.
